Jaguar GR.1A

This page is about the British strike aircraft Jaguar GR.1A. For other versions, see Jaguar (Family).

Jaguar GR.1A

Harrier GR.3

Harrier GR.7

Jaguar GR.1A

Harrier GR.3

Harrier GR.7

Britain

VII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
10.3	10.7	10.7

Class:

Strike aircraft

Research:300 000

Purchase:830 000

Description

In 1983, the RAF began upgrading its Jaguars with new avionics and engines, resulting in the GR.1A variant. A key upgrade was the Ferranti FIN 1064 navigation system, which significantly improved navigational capabilities with its INS and new computer. The GR.1A also featured Adour Mk. 104 engines, offering increased thrust and performance over the original GR.1 model's engines. This resulted in better speed, manoeuvrability, and combat performance. Additional upgrades included provisions for countermeasure and targeting pods, as well as improvements in IFF and radio fit. The Jaguar GR.1A proved its mettle during the Gulf War in 1991, where it played a major role in various missions including close air support, interdiction, and reconnaissance.

The Jaguar GR.1A was introduced in Update "Ground Breaking". While having similar flight performance to its predecessor, it is significantly better in terms of CAS and air-to-air combat. Its biggest advantage over the previous version is the addition of Mk. 13 GBUs, which come with a TIALD targeting pod. Moreover, it gets access to countermeasures that significantly enhance its defensive capabilities, and make the Jaguar a formidable opponent in both air-to-ground and air-to-air engagements.

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 10 668 m1 591 km/h

Turn time30 s

Max altitude13 716 m

Engine2 х Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited Adour Mk.104

TypeJet

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight14 t

The Jaguar GR.1A handles nearly the same as the previous Jaguar GR.1. However, due to having access to Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited Adour Mk.104 engines, the acceleration, cruise speed, and maximum speed are significantly increased. It generally maintains similar flight performance and use, with a slightly reduced turn-time at high speeds. It has the same loadout capacity as the previous Jaguar, performing nearly exactly the same with mounted ordnance. It is nowhere near being the fastest plane at its battle rating but can become a difficult opponent when being hunted down, especially if the Jaguar has a speed advantage.

When on take-off:

Taking off with the Jaguar GR.1A is pretty straightforward, no changes from the GR.1 with the exception that it reaches the minimum lift velocity faster than the GR.1. Flaps are not required for take-off even with the 8 x 1,000 lb bomb payload. However, it is recommended to be used for an easier take-off. Carrier take-off are the same but with a much shorter take-off time. Be aware of centering the aircraft correctly with the deck or else a landing gear might break.

When on landing:

Landings should be done below 500 km/h but depending on the situation, map and place where the Jaguar will land (aircraft carrier or airfield) this may vary. When landing on a carrier, maintain greater speeds than 360 km/h but less than 480 km/h, this is to ensure a safe pull up if the hook is missed. When landing on an airfield, maintain speeds greater than 300 km/h but less than 450 km/h, this is to ensure the plane has enough space to brake and slow down. Upon reaching 300 km/h while on the ground, a drag chute is deployed to assist in slowing down the aircraft. Use the airbrake in order to slow down faster.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 10,668 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/secSond)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	1,557	1,540	13716	31.7	32.2	75.8	67.7	850
Upgraded	1,643	1,591		29.2	30.0	118.1	95.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
1,273	481	1,273	525	410	~12	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 585	< 600	< 649	N/A

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass			Wing loading (full fuel)
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited Adour Mk.104		2	7,656 kg			455 kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)					Max Takeoff Weight
Weight (each)	Type		15m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	51m fuel
709 kg	Afterburning low-bypass turbofan		8,632 kg	8,916 kg	9,546 kg	10,491 kg	10,909 kg	13,500 kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (WEP)
Condition	100%	WEP	15m fuel	20m fuel	30m fuel	45m fuel	51m fuel	MTOW
Stationary	2,061 kgf	3,354 kgf	0.78	0.75	0.70	0.64	0.61	0.50
Optimal	2,313 kgf (200 km/h)	3,585 kgf (200 km/h)	0.83	0.80	0.75	0.68	0.66	0.53

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear481 km/h

The aircraft gets no extra armoured protection, therefore it's extra weak against autocannons. The fuel tanks are self-sealing. This will help you a lot when getting shot at by enemy autocannons, but not air-to-air missiles, which are very common at this battle rating. As seen in the previous Jaguar, damage done to the engines will most likely result in making a non-recoverable manoeuvre and they are prompt to catch fire easily. Keep this in mind when fighting other aircraft and SPAA. The Jaguar has access to a Radar Warning Receiver, which can be useful to alert the pilot of incoming aircraft with radar-guided missiles, or ground based radar anti-air.

The use of chaff and flares significantly improves the survivability of the aircraft in all game modes. Flares are a very useful tool to combat both IR-guided air-to-air missiles and ground vehicles such as the Ozelot, Type 93, and SIDAM 25 (Mistral). However, chaff still remains useless against SPAA radars. The best countermeasure against them is to stay out of sight by flying too high or too low.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 085 → 4 473

RB8 733 → 12 662

SB10 001 → 14 501

Total cost of modifications264 000

407 000

Talisman cost2 900

Crew training240 000

Experts830 000

Aces3 000

Research Aces1 140 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

100 / 320 / 600 %

238 / 238 / 238 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 350 New boosters Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 480 Wings repair Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 510 Engine Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 550	Fuselage repair Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 350 Airframe Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 480 G-suit Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 510 EFS Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 550 Cover Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 550	aden_belt_pack Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 350 LAU-5003 B/A Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 350 Flares/Chaff Research: 11 000 Cost: 17 000 350 Matra SNEB Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 480 GR.1B TIALD Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 480 aden_new_gun Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 510 Mk.N1 540lb Research: 16 000 Cost: 25 000 510 Mk.10 1000lb Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 550 Mk.13/18 Research: 17 000 Cost: 26 000 550

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)

Offensive armament

The Jaguar GR.1A is armed with:

• A choice between two presets:
  • 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons, belly-mounted (150 rpg = 300 total)
  • 2 x 30 mm ADEN Mk.4 cannons + 60 x countermeasures

Suspended armament

The Jaguar GR.1A can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
540 lb Mk.M2 bombs	1	2		2		2	1
1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs	1	2		2		2	1
1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs	1	2		2		2	1
546 kg Mk.13 bombs		1*				1*
CRV7 M247 rockets	19	19				19	19
SNEB type 23 rockets	18	18				18	18
AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles			1		1
TIALD targeting pod				1*
264 gal drop tanks		1		1		1
* The TIALD pod must be carried when equipping Mk.13 bombs

Default weapon presets
3 x 264 gal drop tanks 2 x AIM-9G Sidewinder missiles 8 x 540 lb Mk.M2 bombs (4,320 lb total) 8 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 bombs (8,000 lb total) 8 x 1,000 lb H.E. M.C. Mk.13 No.117 bombs (8,000 lb total) 76 x CRV7 M247 rockets 72 x SNEB type 23 rockets 2 x 546 kg Mk.13 bombs (1,092 kg total)

Usage in battles

The Jaguar is mostly a strike aircraft with defensive capabilities against aircraft. The role of the Jaguar is pretty straightforward when it comes to air battles: base bombing or ground/naval units bombing. It is recommended to utilize the different bomb payloads combined with flares and the AIM-9G. Rockets are not recommended to be taken as they are inaccurate and useless against lightly armoured vehicles, even with the ballistic computer. GBUs are the main weapon against any vessel. They are recommended to be used against destroyers, cruisers, battleships, and even enemy carriers. A well-placed Mk.13 is enough to sink a carrier.

The Jaguar has a wide variety of payloads for all types of players: for those who want to be fast and engage bases or ground targets as quickly as possible, and for those who want to carry out as much destruction as possible. The main advantage of the GR.1A over other strike aircraft is its ability to carry AIM-9G as well as significant ground ordnance due to the over-wing pylons.

The recommended payload for a fair trade in speed, firepower and defensive capabilities is the 2 x AIM-9G + 6 x 1,000 lb bombs payload, which provides more than enough bombs to take 2 bases in maps where there are only 3 bases and airfield, or 1 of the 4 respawning bases which take double the payload. If the player wants to play a more aggressive full bomb payload, then the 8 x 1,000 lb bombs payload can be carried.

In Air Battles

In Arcade

The high nose authority of the aircraft in Arcade lends it the ability to land very clean shots on enemy aircraft in a dogfight. Furthermore, the low muzzle velocity of the autocannons are better accommodated in Arcade, due to the presence of the lead indicator. However, it is not recommended to be used in Arcade due to its poor overall flight characteristics. Its only advantage in this field is its indestructible combat flaps, which are moot in Arcade, as this is the case with all Arcade flight models.

The recommended payload in Arcade is:

• 2× AIM-9Gs
• 6× 1,000lb bombs

This is because bomb targets have greater survivability in Arcade.

In Realistic

The Jaguar lacks the speed and acceleration to make it to bomb targets before any other teammates. Players should therefore expect to encounter the possibility that most bomb targets have been destroyed by the time they reach the battlefield, and be willing to adjust their flight path towards other bases in this instance.

Furthermore, players are rather limited in their versatility. The Jaguar lacks air-to-air capabilities, and is very vulnerable to being attacked by other players, as most fighters it encounters unilaterally out-perform it in every way. A lack of precision ordnance also renders it inept against most ground targets. Targeting bases should always be the priority of a Jaguar GR.1A pilot, as this gives the largest bang for your buck.

At the beginning of each battle, players should check the battle rating of enemies they are engaging, by referencing it against their own team. If the highest-rated player is at 10.7, players should exclusively take flares in their countermeasure slots. If, however, the player is at 11.0 or 11.3, the player should take chaff too, as many aircraft begin to carry Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARH) missiles at this battle rating.

The recommended payload in Realistic is to carry a custom loadout.

• 2× AIM-9Gs on over-wing pylons
• 2× 540lb bombs under the fuselage
• 4× 1,000lb bombs mounted on wing pylons (2 on each wing)

This is exactly enough to destroy one base. Carrying 6× 1,000lb bombs only serves to limit your flight performance, as the 1,000lb bombs always drop in pairs, and it takes ~5,000lbs of payload to destroy a base.

In Simulator

The Jaguar is surprisingly effective in Air Simulator battles. Less players focusing on air-to-air combat gives it much needed breathing room to focus on ground attack, without having to always check your six.

The Jaguar can focus on both base and unit destruction in GSB.

For destroying bases, the recommended payload is the same as in Realistic battles:

• 2× AIM-9Gs on over-wing pylons
• 2× 540lb bombs under the fuselage
• 4× 1,000lb bombs mounted on wing pylons (2 on each wing)

For destroying ground targets, the recommended payload is the guided bombs and the TIALD pod.

• 2× AIM-9Gs on over-wing pylons
• 1× TIALD targeting pod beneath the fuselage
• 2× Mk.13 guided bombs mounted on wing pylons
• 2× 1,000lb bombs mounted on wing pylons

For maximum efficiency, it is recommended to focus on naval units if acting as CAS. This nets the greatest reward for each unit destroyed. Using the guided bombs on naval units is highly recommended, as a well-placed bomb can even sink a carrier on occasion. On the other hand, the unguided bombs should be used on ground targets, due to their inaccuracy.

In Ground Battles

The Jaguar should be played the same way in both Ground Realistic Battles and Ground Simulator Battles; it is highly effective regardless. Your greatest threat is enemy SPAA units, so you should carry some chaff in your countermeasure slots to interrupt enemy radar systems.

The recommended bombload in both Ground Realistic Battles and Ground Simulator Battles is:

• 2× AIM-9Gs on over-wing pylons
• 1× TIALD targeting pod beneath the fuselage
• 2× Mk.13 guided bombs mounted on wing pylons
• 2× 1,000lb bombs mounted on wing pylons

If a player is comfortable with using the Constantly Computed Impact Point (CCIP) in Ground Realistic Battles, and cares more about total damage output rather than accuracy, it is also recommended to use:

• 2× AIM-9Gs on over-wing pylons
• 2× 540lb bombs under the fuselage
• 4× 1,000lb bombs mounted on wing pylons (2 on each wing)

Using Mk.13 GBU and TIALD

As seen in picture, TIALD shares similarities with the helicopter gunner sights.

The Jaguar GR.1A brings completely new systems to Great Britain's aircraft tech-tree. While similar to the French Jaguar A, it does has its changes, pros and cons. The guided munitions features have been seen in other aircraft in-game such as the MiG-27M, MiG-23, A-7D and the like. However, the Jaguar GR.1A is the only penultimate strike aircraft to lack access to guided air-to-ground missiles, only bombs.

TIALD

The TIALD (Thermal Imaging Airborne Laser Designator) is a new targeting pod added to the Jaguar GR.1A which, unlike the French Jaguar, has access to thermal vision, making target acquisition a much easier task. While in use, it acts very similar to helicopter gunner sights for modern helicopters, utilizing almost the exact same functions. Range is not displayed in the HUD as seen in helicopters. However, this is not a crucial aspect of accurate bombing as the range is fully dependent on the aircraft's attitude (altitude, speed, angle of attack, etc). If the user is familiar with helicopter HUD, you will be familiar with the indicators to the left of the reticle.

TIALD indicators

These indicators signal the following: THR (throttle), IAS (indicated air speed), ALT (altitude). These indicators will stay fixed to the sight regardless of the loadout. The lower indicators will vary according to the loadout carried at the time, in this case: GBU (Mk.13 guided bombs) and FLR (chaff and flares according to the loadout). The TIALD has a double functionality, not only working as the laser designator for GBUs but can work as an additional scouting tool for better situational awareness, both for air-to-ground and air-to-air. Functionalities of the TIALD will be explained further below.

Something to keep in mind is that while the TIALD pod can look backwards it cannot look directly downwards, this means that if you have the pod locked to a target and you fly directly over the target the pod can lose its lock on the target when it hits the downwards limit. If you allow this to happen, it is likely the bomb will miss the target before you are able to get the targeting pod pointed at it again. In order to avoid this, you can fly slightly off to the side of your target (rather than passing straight over it) so that the pod can keep pointed at the target by swivelling sideways, rather than straight down like it would have to if you few directly over it.

Mk.13 GBU

The Mk.13 GBU are capable laser-guided bombs able to destroy any ground unit with a single hit and cause significant damage to any vessel in-game, including aircraft carriers. Unlike other unguided bombs, the GBU have extended range even if no lock is made. This is due to having surface controls that keep the bomb level during flight when there is no guidance. In order to successfully perform precision airstrikes, some basic keybind controls have to be done first for this to work properly. First, the "Sight Stabilization" keybind under the Controls > Aircraft > Weaponry must be set, to lock on to a target.

Successful lock with free camera movement

In order to properly make a laser lock, a target that can be locked onto must be found, which is easily achieved by using the thermal imagery on the TIALD targeting pod. If a target is successfully acquired, a fully enclosed square will be displayed around the target. A non-locked target will show the box as a striped square. With a successful lock, GBU can be released in multiple ways. However, there are some things to keep in mind before dropping the GBU. If we have a locked-on target, hitting the "Sight Stabilization" key again will pop up a circle over the box. The circle gives free camera motion while staying slaved to the movement of the target. This is particularly useful to compensate for speed when hitting moving targets, or to simply adjust the desired point of contact. Once the guidance position is satisfactory, the bomb can be released. The GBU tends to maintain a horizontal flight path if it does not have a laser lock, for this same reason the GBU must be dropped at an angle. This is particularly easy as the CCIP ballistic computer shows the general area of the impact zone. As long as bomb is released inside the circle of the CCIP marking, the bomb will hit the marked location precisely.

The angle of attack and altitude has been exaggerated for a more visual example

As soon as the bombs are released, they will instantly start to guide themselves towards the target as long as the laser lock is active. Keep in mind the bombs are dependent on gravity and are not self-propelled, so when attacking a moving target, make sure to compensate for the target's movement for a successful hit. There is a slight delay between the bomb's release and it beginning to guide itself in to the target.

A single GBU is needed per ground target, not only because the bomb has the equivalent to 288 kg of TNT, but the pinpoint accuracy will, most of the time, hit the enemy vehicle's roof, destroying it 99% of the time. Assault fuze is advised here, no need for a time fuze for multiple reasons: There is no risk of explosion self-damage as bombing can be easily done at stand-off distance, assault fuze will ensure the bomb explodes when it hits on target which, in case the target is not hit directly, reduces the escape window for the target.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Can outrun most enemy aircraft in a full down-tier
• Excellent roll rate
• Combat flaps cannot rip off
• Sufficient quantity of countermeasures
• A sufficient and potent autocannon armament
• Diverse array of ordnance
  • Effective air-to-air missiles that can be mounted on over-wing pylons to avoid sacrificing underwing pylons to carry them (unlike on the other Jaguar variants)
  • Sizeable bomb load
  • Access to laser-guided bombs with a thermal imaging TIALD targeting pod (unlike the prior ATLIS II targeting pod on the Jaguar A)

Cons:

• Poor overall flight performance
  • Very poor acceleration, even when afterburning
  • Low top-speed
  • Very poor energy retention, leading to severe loss of speed in evasive manoeuvres
  • Propensity to stall
  • Horrendous stock performance
• Limited air-to-air ordnance
• Rather lacking ammunition for the 30 mm cannons
• Very high fuel consumption when using afterburner (more so than on other aircraft)

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Jaguar GR.1A from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #279 - Metal Beasts section at 00:26 discusses the Jaguar GR.1A.

See also

• F-1
• T-2

External links

• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

SEPECAT
Jet fighters	Jaguar A · Jaguar E · Jaguar GR.1 · Jaguar GR.1A · Jaguar IS*
	SEPECAT was a joint venture between BAC (later BAe) and Bréguet (later merged with Dassault). Production were split between the two manufacturers. *Built by BAe and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).